Another Win for Politicians

Another Win for Politicians

Northshore politicians, 1. Northshore citizens, zero. That’s the way a lot of concerned residents of the Northshore must feel. The possibility of St. Tammany and Washington parishes getting an Office of Inspector general took a big hit.

The politically slanted IG Task Force did exactly what most feared they would do, absolutely nothing. St. Tammany is a booming parish. Pre-Katrina, the parish had under 200,000 folks. Now St. Tammany has over a quarter million residents and is continuing to grow. The public money flowing into the parish for public works projects is staggering. Yet apparently no public oversight via an IG’s office is necessary. At least that’s what the politicians want you to believe.

This one is simple. St. Tammany residents need, more than ever, an apolitical watchdog that goes to bat for the citizens not the politicians. A full time parish auditor who scrutinizes spending. An office of inspector general, modeled after the hyper efficient New Orleans office would have been ideal. But the Northshore politicians want none of it. Transparency in government and the public knowledge of how tax payer money is being spent obviously isn’t a high priority. Northshore residents deserve better. They deserve an Inspector General.